5 traditional prayers for rain, and 3 passages from the Bible to pray with them. Choose one, read it aloud, or print it as a card to keep.
Prayers
Prayer for Fruitful Seasons
Almighty God, who hast blessed the earth that it should be fruitful and bring forth whatsoever is needful for the life of man, and hast commanded us to work with quietness, and eat our own bread; Bless the labours of the husbandman, and grant such seasonable weather that we may gather in the fruits of the earth, and ever rejoice in thy goodness, to the praise of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised to all those who seek thy kingdom, and the righteousness thereof, all things necessary to their bodily sustenance; Send us, we beseech thee, in this our necessity, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, and to thy honour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee, of thy great goodness, to restrain those immoderate rains, wherewith thou hast afflicted us. And we pray thee to send us such seasonable weather, that the earth may, in due time, yield her increase for our use and benefit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, in whom we live, and move, and are, grant us seasonable rain; that we, enjoying a sufficiency of support in this life, may with more confidence strive after the things which are eternal.
Hear us, O Lord, who cry unto Thee, and grant fair weather to us, Thy suppliant servants; that we, who are justly afflicted for our sins, may by Thy preventing pity find mercy.
9Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. 10Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. 11Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. 12They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. 13The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.
13And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
Deuteronomy 11:13-14, King James Version
Elias Prayed Earnestly That It Might Not Rain
17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
James 5:17-18, King James Version
Questions
Which prayer for rain should I start with?
Start with "Prayer for Fruitful Seasons" and pray it each day, with Thou Crownest the Year with Thy Goodness (Psalm 65:9-13) to read alongside it.
Are these Catholic or Protestant prayers?
Both. They come from Catholic prayer books, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and the Bible. Most can be prayed by any Christian.
Can I change the words to fit my situation?
Yes. Where a prayer says "N." or "thy servant", put in the name of the person you are praying for.
Why are the prayers in old-fashioned English?
They keep the words of the older prayer books and the King James Bible, the words generations have prayed. "Thee" and "thou" are the old familiar forms of "you".